Audio description, usually abbreviated as "AD" or labelled with a crossed-out eye icon, uses the text-free passages of a film to describe visual information that is key to understanding and following the plot, such as
The amount of text that can be described depends on the length of the pauses in dialogue and the need to adapt the AD to sounds and film music.
Some theatres, operas, and museums also offer audio descriptions. Live ADs are often produced for shows and sporting events.
Awareness of the need to make films and television programmes accessible to blind and visually impaired viewers is relatively recent. German TV network ZDF broadcast an audio described film for the first time in 1993. Producers have only been obliged to provide accessible versions for cinema release since the Film Subsidies Act was amended in 2013. Though many audio described films have been produced since then, their share of programming could still be larger.
Audio description is thus a relatively "young" industry. To date, there is no standardised training in the field. Many audio description writers found their way into audio description via other professions and have previously or simultaneously worked as subtitlers, journalists, and filmmakers.
Due to the lack of standardised training, the question of what constitutes a successful AD is also the subject of lively debate. Various television broadcasters have developed quality standards for audio description. There are also separate standards for audio described films for children.
In the early years, audio descriptions were usually created in teams of three: Two sighted and one blind person would work on the text together. Today, the text is often prepared by one person, after which blind or visually impaired editors ensure that the film plot remains comprehensible. This approval process is essential to guarantee the quality of the audio description.
Special AD software with accurate frame-by-frame editing capability alongside the film's time code can be used to create titles. Since this software is limited and expensive, many editors use programmes designed for transcription or subtitling. It is also common practice to play the video file separately and transfer the time codes to transcription programmes.
Finally, the texts are recorded by professional voice actors in the studio, often under the direction of the writers. On television, the soundtrack is frequently mixed with the original sound and is available in dual channel audio, or can be activated online. In cinemas, AD is usually available via the GRETA app as a download for smartphones: After the user opens the file in the cinema, it synchronises with the sound in the room, and the AD is output via headphones. This allows blind and sighted people to experience cinema together, independent of special screenings.
